Renaissance of a town on the margins of extinction.

In the mid-nineteenth century (XIX), Venezuela was struck by a disease known as cholera or black vomit. This terrible epidemic began in the Guaira and Caracas, but later spread very quickly and spread throughout Venezuela. This disease was expressed with severe headaches, terrible cramps that made rare forms in the arms and legs, and in turn shrunk the stomach causing fainting, then attacked the vomiting and a whitish diarrhea occurred in the stools. The sick ones were torn in their entrails, they lost strength, they swelled their eyes and the white was covered with blood. Vomiting of blood was presented and agitated by great despair the patient died in this era.

Tucupido, where I live, was not excluded from this fearsome disease. This event has been preserved thanks to the oral testimony of the residents that was passed from generation to generation. As a result of this it is presumed that the disease said present in Tucupido for the year 1850 approximately. Daily hundreds of bodies had to be buried, causing the cemetery that existed at that time to become insufficient, so there was a need to build another one. This is how the French "Juan Santiago Guasco" (priest at the time) who came to Tucupido in 1845, according to the book of Government that is preserved in the parish church of this town, undertakes the construction of a new cemetery.

The epidemic reached such high levels that Guasco made the promise that in order to reduce the deaths in the town of Tucupido, he would place a cross as a testimony of gratitude at each cardinal point of the town. This he did and this terrible disease ceased, achieving a rebirth of the people of Tucupido, showing the great power of belief and prayer towards God.

The cross of the north, is located in the lowest part of the town, in a sector called the trinity, better known as the bass of the trinity. This for having to go down a tremendous mountain or hill to get to this sector.

The cross of the south, we can find it in the pipe, located in the sector the plains almost in the entrance towards the town of Tucupido.

The eastern cross, located in the worker bank community.

The west cross, is between the sectors; New island and beautiful island, exactly in the old new lagoon.

Today, these emblematic crosses remain and represent the lively history of the rebirth of this beautiful town that happened at that time, framing a distinctly local culture and tradition, which unfortunately many people do not know.

Note: All images are my complete authorship and this story is based on all my research. As I mentioned before, it is something that has been maintained from generation to generation. There was also a person who is believed to be the most talked about this, said person is named Antonio Aquino, or as we know it here, "Don Antonio Aquino." I also interviewed a historian, Professor Jesus Ducroc, who clarified in a timely manner some concerns he presented, also indicated the location of the north and west cross, which he did not know (@crisangel).